Education Board To Legislature: Expand Pre-K For ‘High Needs’ Children

The State Board of Education voted Nov. 16, 2016 to express support for legislation that would expand preschool for ‘high-needs children, following a blueprint set by the state’s current preschool pilot program. (Barnaby Wasson/Flickr)

INDIANAPOLIS — Preschool expansion will be a top priority for Indiana’s leading education policy body during the 2017 legislative session.

The Indiana State Board of Education joins a cadre of state business leaders, philanthropic organizations and Superintendent-elect Jennifer McCormick calling for a specific version of expanded preschool: one that focuses on “high-needs” children, using both public and private services.

“Let’s get to the kids that really do need this and make sure that we get them,” says Byron Ernest, a state board of education member.

Under a proposed version of expanded preschool in that style, families making up to twice the the federal poverty level, $48,600 for a family of four, would qualify. Other “high-needs” factors could include disability, homeless status, foster care status or incidence of child abuse or neglect. Families would be eligible for public services or pay for private services with state-funded vouchers.

The decision by the board, endorses a different type of expanded preschool than the version proposed by board chair and outgoing state superintendent Glenda Ritz.

Ritz has publicly advocated for statewide, state-funded preschool for all 4-year-olds, regardless of family income. During an unsuccessful re-election bid this fall, Ritz propped up this version of preschool as a core tenet of her campaign.

Ritz abstained from the board’s vote, but says she’s happy preschool is a focus, at all.

Expanded preschool for “high needs” children has received support from notable Hoosiers, including outgoing Eli Lilly CEO John Lechleiter, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Governor-elect Eric Holcomb.

That group also calls for the elimination of the lottery for the pilot program. On My Way Pre-K is a small-scale pilot program for low-income 4-year-olds in five Indiana counties. Currently, the pilot serves fewer than 4 percent of the state’s roughly 40,000 4-year-olds.

In September, legislators pushed back on the idea of expanded preschool, saying preschool advocates shouldn’t expect tax payers to foot the bill for expansion.